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Image of a gavel on an open book and the words Fiduciary Rule, along with the logo of the US Dept. of Labor

Regulation and Compliance > Litigation

New DOL Fiduciary Rule Hit With First Lawsuit

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The Federation of Americans for Consumer Choice and several independent insurance agents are suing the Labor Department over its new fiduciary rule.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, in Tyler, is the first against Labor’s new fiduciary rule, which the department released last week.

FACC — an advocacy group for independent insurance distributors — is represented by the law firm Figari and Davenport, which also is representing FACC in an earlier lawsuit filed in February 2022 against the DOL that challenges the department’s 2020 guidance on who is considered a fiduciary when giving rollover advice.

In its new suit, FACC said that it “will seek a preliminary injunction asking the court to stop the new rule from taking effect during the pendency of the case” against Labor’s PTE 2020-02 on rollover advice.

PTE 2020-02, which was partly overturned by a Florida district court decision, still faces a challenge in court by FACC, which filed its challenge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

The federation’s 2022 case asked the court to vacate PTE 2020-02 in its entirety and stop DOL from implementing or enforcing it in any manner.

Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su told House lawmakers on Wednesday that Labor’s new rule can withstand legal challenges.

Details on New Suit

FACC’s new suit states that Labor “promulgated a new rule that purports to redefine and significantly broaden who is considered an ‘investment advice fiduciary” under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

At the same time, the suit continues, “the DOL amended several related ‘prohibited transaction exemptions’ … including an amendment to PTE 84-24, which directly relates to the compensation that insurance agents may receive if they are deemed to be fiduciaries under the new 2024 Fiduciary Rule.”

Labor’s 2024 fiduciary rule and PTE “amendments are just the latest salvos by the DOL in its almost 15-year quest to re-define what it means to be an ERISA fiduciary in contravention of the will of Congress,” the suit states. 

“Moreover, it blatantly defies the prior ruling of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit … striking down a rule package that was effectively indistinguishable from the 2024 Fiduciary Rule,” it explains.

FACC said in a statement Thursday that it was “disappointed that the DOL has chosen to go down this same tired path with yet another proposal that blatantly violates the 2018 ruling by the Fifth Circuit and arrogantly ignores limitations of its authority under ERISA.”

The DOL’s new rules, finalized on April 23, “are yet another assault on the financial services industry — especially insurance agents — that only serve to create more cost and confusion for American consumers,” FACC said.

The group said that it “strongly supports state insurance regulation, including the latest updates to the NAIC Model Regulation establishing best interest sales conduct requirements that provide consumer protection while preserving consumer choice.”

Related: The 2024 DOL Fiduciary Rule: A Timeline


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